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Scientists found three gene variants that may change when Alzheimer’s begins

One of the strongest findings involved a variant in CCNG1, which was associated with an earlier age of dementia onset. Carriers of the risk allele developed dementia roughly a decade earlier than those without it.

The same variant was also linked to higher levels of TDP-43, a protein implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases, and signs of accelerated brain aging on MRI scans.

The researchers also found that a variant in RHOJ was associated with biological markers of more severe Alzheimer’s disease. Individuals carrying the risk allele had higher levels of total tau and phosphorylated tau 181 in cerebrospinal fluid and a lower Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio—changes commonly associated with Alzheimer’s pathology.

Derivation of a datadriven followup protocol for resected skull base meningiomas: a Bayesian analysis NeuroOncology

Complete resection of skull base meningiomas (SBMs) is often limited by their proximity to critical neurovascular structures, potentially increasing the risk of postoperative progression. This study quantified long-term progression risk after SBM resection, identified predictors of progression, and developed a data-driven MRI surveillance protocol using Bayesian methods.

Patients undergoing SBM resection between 2002 and 2020 at two neurosurgical centres were analysed. Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to estimate intervention-free survival (IFS). Conditional probability modelling was used to derive an MRI surveillance schedule that maintained a ≤ 3% risk of progression requiring intervention, stratified by extent of resection.

A total of 358 SBMs were included. Median age at diagnosis was 57 years (IQR 18), and 76.0% of patients were female. WHO Grade 1 tumours accounted for 80.3% of cases and Grade 2 for 19.7%. Median follow-up was 97 months (IQR 64–128). Progression requiring re-intervention occurred in 14.1% of patients. Subtotal resection (STR) increased the risk of re-intervention (HR 2.62, 95% CI 1.30–5.30, p = 0.009), whereas higher comorbidity burden (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.62–0.98, p = 0.038) and incidental presentation (HR 0.11, 95% CI 0.01–0.88, p = 0.038) were associated with lower risk. Conditional probability modelling demonstrated higher annual progression risk following STR, supporting more intensive imaging surveillance. Recommended MRI schedules were: gross total resection (GTR), scans at 3 months, 2, 5, 8, and 10 years; STR, scans at 3 months, 1 year, 18 months, annually from years 2–8, and at 10 years.

Neuropathologic Correlates of Seizures in Patients With Alzheimer Disease and Dementia With Lewy Bodies

Background and ObjectivesSeizures are a recognized comorbidity in dementia, with varying prevalence across Alzheimer disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLBs). Although previous studies have demonstrated an increased seizure risk in AD, the…

Protein excess tips the balance of cellular health

For cells to function properly, they must produce the right amount of each protein. It is a delicate balance: both too little and too much can compromise essential cellular functions. A research team has now shown that even a modest excess of tubulin – the protein that assembles into microtubules, the cell’s internal scaffolding – is enough to disrupt tissue architecture and reduce cell viability. Published in Nature Communications, the study demonstrates that the quantity of a protein is just as important as its function.

Microtubules, built from tubulin, form the cell’s internal skeleton. They help cells maintain their shape, transport molecules, divide, and remain firmly attached to neighbouring cells. Rather than being rigid structures, microtubules are constantly assembled and disassembled to adapt to the cell’s changing needs. This dynamic behavior depends directly on the amount of tubulin available.

For more than forty years, biologists have known that cells possess a mechanism that slows tubulin production when its levels become too high. However, the biological purpose of this regulatory pathway remained unknown. To address this question, the team used three-dimensional spheroids. “These 3D cell culture models behave like tissues and reproduce cell-cell interactions much more faithfully than conventional two-dimensional cultures,” the author explains.

3D multiomics tumour atlases: from technology to biology and clinical translation Reviews Cancer

In this Review, Liu et al. describe the established and emerging tools for the generation of comprehensive 3D tumour atlases, the analysis of which has the potential to uncover novel biomarkers for risk stratification, early detection, preventive interventions, and transformative diagnostic and treatment strategies.

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